Because I Can
by Mistress Penelopye
Summary: AU GrimmIchi rated for language.


Because I Can

Grimmjow leaned back in his comfortable desk chair and sighed, cracking his knuckles before stretching his arms over his head. He was finally finished. Finally done and over with the thing that had consumed the last year of his life. He smiled at the screen and quickly hit control-S before shutting off the monitor and standing; stretching one more time for good measure and enjoying the snap, crackle, pop of his vertebras. The stupid story had given him more than a few headaches, caused him to neglect his health and hygiene, ignore his family and friends and he was pretty sure his ass had gone flat from long hours of sitting, but damned if he wasn't proud of himself. Damned if he couldn't keep that smug smile off his face at _finally_ finishing something worthwhile; something worth asking people to pay for. It hadn't been easy deciding what to do in the first place, seeing as how it had all started out as a simple gift for a friend. He could have kept it online, unrefined and dripping with endless, impotent potential, but in the end he had made the tough choice to put in the effort of making it even better. Making it shine and sparkle like some kind of gem polished smooth. And now it was done. Now it was ready to show its face to a larger demographic. Now he could show not just the people who followed his random stupid stories online, but the _world_ that he was so much more than his penname; so much more than an anime addict with a wild imagination.

SexyPirate6 was about to become known to the world as G.J. Espada: homosexual romance novelist.

He sighed and ran a hand back through his thick blue hair, thoughts of the angry hate mail he had received because of his decision bubbling up in the forefront of his mind against his will. He couldn't understand those people. They pissed him off and made him wish that there were some way to jump into his computer and throttle whoever dared do something like that. Why? In what way and for what reason? Was it because of the anonymity of the internet that people felt comfortable leaving him death threats over a fan fiction? Did they feel safe, hiding in their own houses as they let their fingers spew hate at someone else's accomplishments? What the fuck gave them the right to dictate what the hell he did with _his_ work? With _his _effort? With _his_ story? He didn't _have_ to do this shit. He didn't _have_ to write and share it as he wrote. He didn't _have_ to spend hours on end, typing, editing, _agonizing_ over what nameless, faceless people on the internet thought about his work. He enjoyed it. He enjoyed making other people melt with his thoughts. Enjoyed reading comments left by satisfied readers; swooning fangirls gushing about how _real_ it all seemed. For some reason it made him feel whole, complete; and the boost to his ego wasn't too bad either.

There was a soft knock on the door to his dorm room and he turned to answer it, stepping back with a frown when it opened by itself. Ichigo, his boyfriend of six years and the man he knew he'd marry if it were legal where they lived, walked in the room and sighed gratefully.

"Oh thank god. Are you finally finished with it?" Ichigo asked as he shut the door behind him.

Grimmjow grinned, happy for the interruption from dark thoughts, and held out a hand to the redhead. "Yeah. Just put on the finishing touches. I'll email it off in the morning."

Ichigo linked fingers with Grimmjow and walked into his open arms, hugging the slightly larger man tightly and kissing his neck.

"God you stink. Go take a shower. Have you even eaten anything today?" Ichigo worried and Grimmjow snorted.

"What time is it?"

When Ichigo sighed and stepped away from him he had to laugh a little at the face he was given.

"Go shower, I'll order something for you." Ichigo said with another sigh, used to Grimmjow's lapse in caring for himself by now.

"Sweet. Free food." Grimmjow chuckled and walked to his small dresser for his towel.

With his towel found Grimmjow walked back towards Ichigo and smiled softly, the dark shadows under his eyes worrying the redhead further. Thin orange brows pulled together and a plump bottom lip jutted out, making Grimmjow lick his own lips before leaning forward to steal a kiss.

"Don't worry. I promise, only one book a year." he whispered before pulling back to dazzle Ichigo with a wide, nearly ferocious grin. "At least until I get the hang of this editing shit."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and pushed Grimmjow towards the door, shaking his head when the blue haired man laughed loudly.

"I love you, but if you take this long with every book you write, I'm going to have to kill you."

"Aww, what, you aren't proud of me?" Grimmjow asked, only half teasing. A small part of him was always concerned that he had taken his passion a bit too far and pushed Ichigo away far too often.

Ichigo shook his head and stopped pushing Grimmjow before stepping in front of him again to look up with wide and earnest brown eyes.

"I am so fucking proud of you it hurts." he said quietly before lifting one of his hands to cup Grimmjow's cheek gently. They stared at each other a moment and Grimmjow felt his heart swell in his chest at the love flowing from Ichigo's eyes.

"But if you don't go bathe we're going to have issues." Ichigo continued, his voice louder this time. "I have to air out the room while you're gone; it smells like an old wrestling mat."

Grimmjow laughed at that and grabbed Ichigo's hand, turning it so that he could kiss the palm.

"Love you too." he mumbled and heard Ichigo sigh again.

"Yeah, yeah. Soap. Hot water. Copious amounts of scrubbing. Go."

Grimmjow just smiled and leaned in for one more kiss before leaving the room to do as he was told; if only because he knew that it had been far too long since the last shower he had. Pushing all thoughts of progress-hating trolls out of his head, Grimmjow sauntered down the hallway to the showers, his mind trying to conjuring up images of what it would be like at his first book signing. He smirked.

It would be epic.

* * *

><p>AN Well that was fucking cathartic :D

~Penny


End file.
